All Draft-and-Stash Players in NBA history

Drafting players with no chance of coming to the NBA right away – either because of player’s intentions or because team doesn’t want him there – seems weird at first glance but it became such a staple of recent NBA drafts I just had to investigate this topic futher to get to the bottom of it.

So here’s what I did:
1) based on draft recaps from basketball-reference.com since 1950 I created a list of draftees who either didn’t play a single game in the NBA or they debuted at least a year later than their draft class.
a) among players who didn’t play at all I focused only on those drafted in the first couple of rounds because for decades draft in the NBA was way too long [and let’s be frank – I wanted to save a lot of time chasing unknown 7th rounders who really had no chance of playing in the NBA because of limited number of spots available].
b) I included all players who played in the NBA but started career later than they should based on draft year.

2) for every player from list above I used wonders of Google to identify possible reasons behind the delay.
If a possible draft and stash players were simply cut before their first season or for some other reasons didn’t really qualify as draft-and-stash type I deleted them from the list.

3) “Probable reason(s) for delay” below is my best guess at what happened to the player after the draft but in most cases [especially before 2000!] I have no idea about the relationship between cause and effect.
In other words, did player sign somewhere else because he wanted to or because he was able to get better contract or because he didn’t receive any offer from the NBA? Either way he became a draft-and-stash type so he is on the list below but we just don’t know who made that decision.

Starting in 1989 in some cases I had to gave up searching so I used “????????” as an explanation which means I couldn’t find anything. On the other hand, in situations I found interesting or unique for some reason I included links to sources and more than one word description. If you have any questions, or maybe if you know what did happen to some unsolved by me situations, let me know in the comments.

In total final list includes over 600 players so that’s why this post is basically only about the data.
For more analysis on this topic, using list below, please visit blog later this week…

Didn’t make team, “was embarrassed in some Baker League games before reporting to the Sixers’ training camp” – Source

1971

14

PHO

John Roche

1975

162

ABA

1971

17

MIL

Collis Jones

ABA

1971

20

CHI

Willard Sojourner

ABA

1971

22

ATL

Ted McClain

1976

178

ABA

1971

26

BUF

Amos Thomas

????????

1971

28

BOS

Jim Rose

????????

1971

31

CIN

Joe Bergman

????????

1971

34

NYK

Gregg Northington

played out his last year of college

1971

35

CLE

Willie Long

????????

1971

38

CIN

Rich Yunkus

team wanted him to go to Italy for more seasoning, he decided not to play professional basketball, used his education to help his father run a firm – Source

1971

44

BOS

Dave Robisch

1976

508

ABA

1971

45

DET

Marv Roberts

1976

28

ABA

1971

47

CHI

Mike Gale

1976

453

ABA

1971

58

HOU

Tom Owens

1976

488

ABA

1971

117

CHI

Artis Gilmore

1976

909

ABA

1971

139

POR

Goo Kennedy

1976

32

ABA

1970

22

CIN

Doug Cook

????????

1970

31

ATL

Dan Hester

ABA

1970

32

DET

Ken Warzynski

????????

1970

34

NYK

Howie Wright

ABA

1970

36

SFW

Earle Higgins

ABA

1970

37

DET

Bob St. Pierre

????????

1970

103

SDR

Billy Paultz

1976

637

ABA

1970

106

BOS

Charlie Scott

1971

560

ABA

1970

122

DET

Dan Issel

1976

718

ABA

1970

129

PHO

Steve Patterson

1971

350

played out his last year of college

1970

155

SFW

Coby Dietrick

1976

480

ABA

1970

205

DET

Randy Smith

1971

976

played out his last year of college

1969

4

DET

Terry Driscoll

1970

244

Foreign contract

1969

5

CHI

Larry Cannon

1973

19

ABA

1969

16

CHI

Simmie Hill

ABA

1969

18

SEA

Ronald Taylor

ABA

1969

19

DET

Willie Norwood

1971

430

Foreign contract

1969

22

SFW

Ed Siudet

????????

1969

24

PHO

Gene Williams

ABA

1969

26

NYK

Bill Bunting

ABA

1969

28

PHI

Willie Taylor

????????

1969

29

BAL

Willie Scott

ABA

1969

30

PHO

Floyd Kerr

Foreign contract, Harlem Magicians

1969

31

MIL

Skeeter Swift

ABA

1969

40

NYK

Eddie Mast

1970

112

Foreign contract

1969

58

PHO

Rich Jones

1976

34

ABA

1969

64

SFW

Willie Wise

1976

77

ABA

1969

65

CIN

Jake Ford

1970

31

played out his last year of college

1969

66

BOS

George Thompson

1974

73

ABA

1969

69

LAL

Wil Jones

1976

159

ABA

1969

109

ATL

Bob Christian

1970

246

ABA

1969

167

PHI

Fatty Taylor

1976

79

ABA

1969

187

LAL

Mack Calvin

1976

222

ABA

1968

19

CHI

Ron Dunlap

????????

1968

20

DET

Manny Leaks

1972

135

ABA

1968

22

MIL

Gene Moore

ABA

1968

24

SEA

Jeff Ockel

ABA

1968

25

DET

Donald Dee

ABA

1968

26

BAL

Ron Nelson

????????

1968

29

SFW

Donald Sidle

ABA

1968

32

BOS

Garfield Smith

1970

63

ABA

1968

39

CHI

Mike Lynn

1969

49

????????

1968

49

PHO

Rich Jones

1976

34

played out his last year of college

1968

57

SFW

Jim Eakins

1976

115

ABA

1968

70

DET

Wally Anderzunas

1969

44

played out his last year of college

1968

76

PHI

Chuck Williams

1976

138

????????

1968

136

SEA

Jim Marsh

1971

39

????????

1968

147

PHO

Ron Boone

1976

379

ABA

1968

163

CHI

Herm Gilliam

1969

578

played out his last year of college

1968

187

LAL

Johnny Baum

1969

65

played out his last year of college

1968

202

NYK

Milt Williams

1970

68

????????

1967

9

CIN

Mel Daniels

1976

11

ABA

1967

12

PHI

Craig Raymond

1968

27

ABA

1967

13

BAL

Jimmy Jones

1974

140

ABA

1967

14

DET

Steve Sullivan

Foreign contract

1967

15

CHI

Byron Beck

1976

53

ABA

1967

16

LAL

Randolph Mahaffey

ABA

1967

18

SDR

Bob Netolicky

ABA

1967

21

DET

Darrell Hardy

ABA

1967

22

CHI

John Dickson

ABA

1967

23

LAL

Dwight Smith

????????

1967

24

NYK

Gary Gregor

1968

296

played out his last year of college

1967

25

STL

Bob Verga

1973

21

ABA

1967

38

CIN

Louie Dampier

1976

232

ABA

1967

51

SFW

Mike Lynn

1969

49

played out his last year of college

1967

63

SFW

Dale Schlueter

1968

586

????????

1967

128

NYK

Mike Riordan

1968

639

EPBL/CBA

1966

16

CIN

Jerry Lee Wells

drafted into the U.S. Army

1966

18

BOS

Leon Clark

????????

1966

21

NYK

Stew Johnson

ABA

1966

22

DET

Ollie Darden

ABA

1966

23

SFW

Stephen Chubin

Europe/ABA

1966

25

BAL

Dave Wagnon

????????

1966

28

BOS

Gary Turner

ABA

1966

39

PHI

Ken Wilburn

1967

7

EPBL/CBA

1966

69

NYK

Mike Silliman

1970

36

US Armed Forces All-Stars

1966

73

BAL

Roland West

1967

4

played out his last year of college

1966

75

LAL

John Wetzel

1967

357

Broken wrist

1966

78

NYK

Bill Turner

1967

294

played out his last year of college

1966

94

BAL

Stan McKenzie

1967

396

Foreign contract

1966

106

STL

Paul Long

1967

71

played out his last year of college

1965

NYK

Bill Bradley

1967

742

Foreign contract/Air Force Reserves

1965

7

CIN

Nate Bowman

1966

243

Johnston C.J.’s

1965

8

BOS

Ollie Johnson

1972

cut

1965

12

BAL

Tal Brody

chose to play in Israel

1965

14

NYK

Hal Blevins

chose to fight for spot in NFL

1965

15

CIN

Flynn Robinson

1966

494

CBA

1965

21

BAL

Joe Newton

????????

1965

23

STL

Ken McIntyre

????????

1965

25

LAL

Jim Caldwell

1967

2

EPBL/CBA

1965

26

BOS

Toby Kimball

1966

571

Foreign contract

1965

31

PHI

Hank Finkel

1966

551

played out his last year of college

1965

33

CIN

Bob Love

1966

789

EPBL/CBA

1965

67

CIN

Jim Fox

1967

743

Foreign contract

1964

11

PHI

Ira Harge

ABA

1964

15

CIN

Bill Chmielewski

EPBL

1964

17

NYK

Brian Generalovich

drafted by the New York Knicks of the NBA, the Boston Patriots of the AFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He passed up the chances, however, to attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

1964

19

BAL

Jerry Sloan

1965

755

played out his last year of college

1964

21

LAL

Tom Dose

????????

1964

22

STL

Arthur Becker

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)

1964

26

NYK

Freddie Crawford

1966

297

EPBL/CBA

1964

30

LAL

Hank Finkel

1966

551

finished school, he was eligible earlier because he took one year off from school after leaving St Peter’s before transferring to Dayton

1964

34

BOS

Joe Strawder

1965

231

EPBL/CBA

1964

72

BAL

Tom Black

1970

71

EPBL/CBA

1963

8

BOS

Bill Green

never played any sport professionally due to an ever-increasing fear of flying

1963

12

DET

Jerry Smith

????????

1963

14

STL

Leland Mitchell

not good enough? later joined ABA

1963

15

PHI

Hershell West

????????

1963

17

STL

Ken Saylors

????????

1963

19

BAL

Tom Bolyard

????????

1963

20

SFW

Steve Gray

????????

1963

43

LAL

Larry Jones

1964

95

played out his last year of college

1963

63

NYK

Freddie Crawford

1966

297

played out his last year of college [Missed 1961-62 season due to illness]

1962

CIN

Jerry Lucas

1963

829

turned down the Royals to pursue his doctorate in business marketing, joined ABL where he became part of the team ownership, whole ABL went down

1962

18

NYK

Bobby Rascoe

not good enough? Later joined ABA

1962

20

DET

Harold Hudgens

????????

1962

22

CIN

Chris Appel

????????

1962

24

LAL

John Green

????????

1962

25

BOS

Jim Hadnot

ABL/CBA

1962

27

NYK

Cliff Luyk

joined Real Madrid in 1962, and acquired Spanish citizenship three years later

1962

29

DET

Reggie Harding

1963

205

ruled ineligible, had to wait a year after finishing high school, played in MBL, first player drafted into the NBA without having played in college

1962

34

BOS

Roger Strickland

1963

1

played out his last year of college

1961

2

NYK

Tom Stith

1962

25

diagnosed with tuberculosis shortly after signing

1961

3

CIN

Larry Siegfried

1963

550

joined the new ABL

1961

6

SYR

Ben Warley

1962

289

joined the new ABL

1961

13

LAL

Fred Sawyer

????????

1961

14

SYR

Chris Smith

decided not to play pro and he went to work for Union Carbide as a production engineer at the WV Institute Plant

1961

19

CHP

Jerry Graves

????????

1961

21

CHP

Don Kojis

1963

814

remained an amateur for two years, playing AAU ball, hoping to make the 1964 Olympic team

1961

22

CHP

Doug Moe

Europe/ABA, banned by NBA for point shaving scandal

1961

23

CHP

Jeff Cohen

never officially signed, joined ABL

1961

24

NYK

Tony Jackson

ABL, banned by NBA for point shaving scandal

1961

27

LAL

Frank Burgess

ABL, later returned to school and became a lawyer

1961

32

CHP

Bill Bridges

1962

926

ABL

1961

92

NYK

Kevin Loughery

1962

755

played out his last year of college

1961

100

CIN

George Patterson

1967

59

ABL

1960

5

SYR

Lee Shaffer

1961

196

NIBL

1960

7

PHW

Al Bunge

????????

1960

9

CIN

Jay Arnette

1963

114

????????

1960

13

SYR

Wilbur Trosch

AAU/NIBL

1960

14

STL

Frank Radovich

1961

37

Not good enough?

1960

16

BOS

Leroy Wright

AAU/ABL

1960

18

LAL

Jim Hagan

????????

1960

20

DET

Frank Case

????????

1960

27

LAL

Ben Warley

1962

289

Cleveland Pipers’s AAU club

1960

30

STL

Horace Walker

1961

65

NIBL

1960

46

STL

York Larese

1961

59

played out his last year of college

1960

54

STL

Bob Sims

1961

65

NIBL

1960

56

CIN

Sam Stith

1961

32

played out his last year of college

1959

1

CIN

Bob Boozer

1960

874

NIBL

1959

7

DET

Tom Robitaille

AAU

1959

8

DET

Don Goldstein

????????

1959

11

SYR

Bumper Tormohlen

1962

271

NIBL/ABL

1959

12

STL

Alan Seiden

“mysterious flameout from his pro tryout”, EPBL/ABL

1959

15

CIN

Mike Mendenhall

????????

1959

17

PHW

Jim Hickaday

????????

1959

19

SYR

Jon Cincebox

ABL

1959

21

STL

Hank Stein

After being cut by the Hawks before the season started, Stein went into business

1959

22

BOS

Ralph Croswaite

“personal reasons” – “Some say he simply didn’t have the personal desire and interest to commit to the professional lifestyle”

1959

23

CIN

Leo Byrd

represented US at the 1959 Pan American Games, his competitive playing career effectively ended after his stint with Team USA.

1959

24

DET

George Lee

1960

297

????????

1959

27

SYR

Paul Neumann

1961

453

ABL/AAU

1959

28

NYK

Johnny Cox

1962

73

ABL

1959

77

STL

John Barnhill

1962

426

ABL

1958

11

NYK

Joe Quigg

Not fully healed after injury didn’t make the team. Instead, he went to dental school and became a dentist.

1958

12

PHW

Lloyd Sharrar

AAU

1958

15

BOS

Jimmy Smith

drafted into the army, later injured

1958

18

DET

Roy DeWitz

as 3rd rounder he was offered a $750 signing bonus and $650/game but DeWitz had signed a salary contract to coach and teach at Manhattan High School-Manhattan, Kansas for $4250 per year, chose latter

1958

19

NYK

John Lee

passed up pro basketball and its then-modest salaries to return to Yale and gain a master’s degree in chemical engineering, later began a corporate career

1958

20

PHW

Frank Howard

baseball was his first love and he signed with the Dodgers

1958

21

SYR

John Nacincik

EPBL

1958

27

NYK

Johnny Cox

1962

73

ABL

1958

36

PHW

Don Ohl

1960

727

AAU

1958

81

STL

Joe Buckhalter

1961

65

????????

1958

85

CIN

Adrian Smith

1961

719

army/AAU

1957

10

DET

Bob McCoy

quickly became a coach?

1957

11

MNL

Harvey Schmidt

NIBL

1957

12

STL

Jim Palmer

1958

196

NIBL

1957

14

PHW

Jack Sullivan

“He went to camp with Philly, but they did not give him a fair shake”, joined marines

1957

15

SYR

Jim Morgan

declined a contract as he was hired to teach and coach basketball at Stebbins High School. Later he resigned at Stebbins to become a horse trainer. Jim is the All Time leading trainer in races won and money won in Ohio

1957

16

BOS

Dick O’Neal

????????

1957

48

BOS

Maury King

1959

38

army

1957

67

PHW

Steve Hamilton

1958

82

played baseball

1956

BOS

K.C. Jones

1958

676

finished college career, missed 1953-54 season due to health reasons (he had to have an emergency appendectomy early in the season) and was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA

1956

BOS

Dan Swartz

1962

39

didn’t make team, ABL/NIBL

1956

MNL

Elgin Baylor

1958

846

played another college season [spent time in army]

1956

MNL

Sam Jones

1957

871

played another college season [spent time in army]

1956

PHW

Phil Rollins

1958

177

????????

1956

SYR

Swede Halbrook

1960

143

NIBL

1955

11

NYK

Jerry Mullen

AAU

1955

14

SYR

Don Schlundt

opted to pursue a career in business rather than professional basketball

1955

18

BOS

Buzz Wilkinson

elected to stay in Charlottesville to attend law school

1955

19

NYK

Guy Sparrow

1957

150

????????

1955

MNL

K.C. Jones

1958

676

finished college career, missed 1953-54 season due to health reasons (he had to have an emergency appendectomy early in the season) and was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA

1954

10

BLB

Slick Leonard

1956

426

franchise folded

1954

11

MLH

Bob Mattick

AAU

1954

13

FTW

Arnold Short

NIBL

1954

17

NYK

Richie Guerin

1956

848

served on active duty for 2 years

1954

18

MNL

Al Bianchi

1956

687

served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp

1954

30

PHW

Chuck Noble

1955

411

NIBL

1954

80

MNL

Dick Garmaker

1955

421

played another college season

1954

95

ROC

Jim Paxson

1956

138

played another college season

1954

100

PHW

Joe Holup

1956

192

played another college season

1953

NYK

Walter Dukes

1955

553

Harlem Globetrotters

1953

4

ROC

Richie Regan

1955

215

army

1953

5

BOS

Frank Ramsey

1954

623

returned to Kentucky for one more season despite graduating!

1953

BOS

Chet Noe

turned down, joined NIBL/AAU

1953

BOS

Cliff Hagan

1956

745

army

1953

BOS

Lou Tsioropoulos

1956

157

returned to Kentucky for one more season despite graduating!

1953

MNL

Ron Feiereisel

1955

10

not good enough? quickly became a coach

1953

NYK

Dick Atha

1955

43

army

1953

ROC

Kenny Sears

1955

529

played another college seasons, first basketball player to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, appearing on the December 20, 1954 issue

1952

4

INO

Joe Dean

NIBL

1952

6

BOS

Bob Stauffer

????????

1952

8

ROC

Chuck Darling

rejected the offer, AAU

1952

9

MNL

Clyde Lovellette

1953

704

AAU

1952

PHW

Walt Davis

1953

325

focused on high-jump and olympics?

1952

BLB

Bob Peterson

1953

103

drafted year later but why the missed season?

1951

1

BLB

Gene Melchiorre

banned for point-shaving scandal

1951

3

INO

Marcus Freiberger

AAU

1951

6

NYK

Ed Smith

1953

11

army 2 years

1951

7

BOS

Ernie Barrett

1953

131

army 2 years

1951

9

PHW

Don Sunderlage

1953

113

????????

1951

10

BLB

Jack Stone

AAU

1951

11

TRI

Bill Gossett

AAU

1951

12

INO

Scotty Steagall

????????

1951

15

NYK

Roland Minson

chose to forego a NBA career to serve as an officer in the Navy during the Korean War